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Terracotta
in India. The reddish color is due to iron oxide in the source clay. Clays with low iron content can result in paler colors on firing, ranging from white to yellow.]] .]] , Beijing, China.]] lamenting the loss of Osiris (Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt) Musée du Louvre, Paris]] ", at the National Etruscan Museum.]] , Birmingham, England.]] in London has an ornate terracotta facade typical of high Victorian architecture. The carvings represent the contents of the Museum.]] Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta (Italian: "baked earth",Merriam-Webster.com from the Latin terra cocta) is a clay-based unglazed ceramic,OED, "Terracotta" although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color‘Diagnosis Of Terra-Cotta Glaze Spalling.’ S.E. Thomasen, C.L. Searls. Masonry: Materials, Design, Construction and Maintenance. ASTM STP 992 Philadelphia, USA, 1988. American Society for Testing & Materials.‘Colour Degradation In A Terra Cotta Glaze’ H.J. Lee, W.M. Carty, J.Gill. Ceram.Eng.Sci.Proc. 21, No.2, 2000, p.45-58.‘High-lead glaze compositions and alterations: example of byzantine tiles.’ A. Bouquillon. C. Pouthas. Euro Ceramics V. Pt.2. Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland,1997, p.1487-1490 Quote: “A collection of architectural Byzantine tiles in glazed terra cotta is stored and exhibited in the Art Object department of the Louvre Museum as well as in the Musee de la Ceramique de Sevres.”'Industrial Ceramics.' F.Singer, S.S.Singer. Chapman & Hall. 1971. Quote: "The lighter pieces that are glazed may also be termed 'terracotta.'. Its uses include vessels, water and waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines. The term is also used to refer to items made out of this material and to its natural, brownish orange color, which varies considerably. In archaeology and art history, "terracotta" is often used of objects not made on a potter's wheel, such as figurines, where objects made on the wheel from the same material, possibly even by the same person, are called pottery; the choice of term depending on the type of object rather than the material . Production and properties An appropriate refined clay is partially dried and cast, molded, or hand worked into the desired shape. After further thorough drying it is placed in a kiln, or atop combustible material in a pit, and then fired. After pit firing the hot ware is covered with sand to cool, and after kiln firing the kiln is slowly cooled. When unglazed, the material will not be waterproof, but it is suitable for in-ground use to carry pressurized water (an archaic use), for garden ware, and sculpture or building decoration in tropical environments, and for oil containers, oil lamps, or ovens. Most other uses such as for table ware, sanitary piping, or building decoration in freezing environments require that the material be glazed. Terracotta, if uncracked, will ring if lightly struck, but not as brightly as will ware fired at higher temperature, which is called stoneware. The fired material is weak compared to stoneware. Some types of terracotta are created from clay that includes recycled terracotta ("grog"). The unglazed color after firing can vary widely, but most common clays contain enough iron to cause an orange, orangish red, or brownish orange color, with this range including various colors described as "terracotta". Other colors include yellow, gray, and pink. History Terracotta has been used throughout history for sculpture and pottery, as well as bricks and roof shingles. In ancient times, the first clay sculptures were dried (baked) in the sun after being formed. Later, they were placed in the ashes of open hearths to harden, and finally kilns were used, similar to those used for pottery today. However only after firing to high temperature would it be classed as a ceramic material. In art history Crude terra-cotta female figurines were uncovered by archaeologists in excavations of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, two large urban sites of the Indus Valley period (3000-1500 BC). Along with phallus-shaped stones, these suggest some sort of fertility cult and a belief in a Mother Goddess.Jacob Neusner, ed. World Religions in America. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. The Burney Relief is an outstanding terracotta plaque from Ancient Mesopotamia of about 1950 BC. The ancient Greeks Tanagra figurines are mass-produced mold-cast and fired terracotta figurines. Significant uses of terracotta have included Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army of China, built in 210–209 BC. Precolonial West African sculpture also made extensive use of terracotta.H. Meyerowitz; V. Meyerowitz (1939). "Bronzes and Terra-Cottas from Ile-Ife". The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 75 (439), 150-152; 154-155. The regions most recognized for producing terracotta art in this part of the world include the Nok culture of central and north-central Nigeria, the Ife/Benin cultural axis in western and southern Nigeria (also noted for its exceptionally naturalistic sculpture), and the Igbo culture area of eastern Nigeria, which excelled in terracotta pottery. These related, but separate, traditions also gave birth to elaborate schools of bronze and brass sculpture in the area. French sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse made many terracotta pieces, but possibly the most famous is The Abduction of Hippodameia depicting the Greek mythological scene of a centaur kidnapping Hippodameia on her wedding day. American architect Louis Sullivan is well-known for his elaborate glazed terracotta ornamentation, designs that would have been impossible to execute in any other medium. Terracotta and tile were used extensively in the town buildings of Victorian Birmingham, England. In chemistry In chemistry, pieces of terracotta are used as a heterogeneous catalyst to "crack" long-chain alkanes. This process is useful for obtaining more useful products, such as gasoline or petrol, from less useful ones, such as highly viscous long chain alkanes. Advantages in sculpture As compared to bronze sculpture, terracotta uses a far simpler process for creating the finished work with much lower material costs. Reusable mold-making techniques may be used for series production. Compared to marble sculpture and other stonework the finished product is far lighter and may be further glazed to produce objects with color or durable simulations of metal patina. Robust durable works for outdoor use require greater thickness and so will be heavier, with more care needed in the drying of the unfinished piece to prevent cracking as the material shrinks. Structural considerations are similar to those required for stone sculpture. Color Terra cotta is a color between orange and brown. See also *Architectural terracotta *Cittacotte *Earthenware *Glazed architectural terracotta *List of colors *Terracotta Army External links *[http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/terracot/terracot.htm Article on terracotta in Victorian and Edwardian Terracotta Buildings] *Bibliography, Smithsonian Institution, Ceramic Tiles and Architectural Terracotta *Tile Heritage Foundation (US) *Friends of Terra Cotta, non-profit foundation to promote education and preservation of architectural Terracotta *Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (UK) ---- Footnotes Category:Sculpture materials Category:Building materials Category:Pottery Category:Shades of red Category:Ceramic art Category:Ceramic materials bn:টেরাকোটা bg:Теракота ca:Terracota cs:Terakota da:Terrakotta de:Terrakotta et:Terrakota es:Terracota eo:Terakoto eu:Terrakota fa:آجری fr:Terre cuite gl:Terracota hi:टैराकोटा hr:Terakota it:Terra cotta (colore) he:טרקוטה lt:Terakota nl:Terracotta ja:テラコッタ no:Terrakotta pl:Terakota pt:Terracota ru:Терракота sk:Terakota sr:Теракота fi:Terrakotta sv:Terrakotta uk:Теракота